University has so much more value than the coursework and the name. The network you mention is a good starting point. You call it network and it evokes the idea

University has so much more value than the coursework and the name. The network you mention is a good starting point. You call it network and it evokes the idea of those connections that can help you later. But they are also very beneficial during your studies. Learning alone means you never have the chance to ask for help, give help and discuss what you learned. Universities also do research you can be part of. I helped build a CubeSat during my uni time and was part of a sounding rocket mission. You can't do that in a YouTube video of a lecture and you can't to that as a side project. University is a place to meet like minded people and learn about stuff you are interested in. You get teachers and facilities you wouldn't normally have access to. Use it! And make sure that you go to uni with this mental model of it. Whenever you see uni doing things that don't fit in that model, try to change it. Unis aren't there to make sure you get a better job, get access to hidden networks in society, take loads of money from students, crank out degrees, ... They are there to enable people growing personally and fuel that growth back into growing humanities knowledge. ... and yeah, some local hackerspaces are closer to that idea of an University that many Universities are. That's a problem.